Knit or Miss
by Salacassera
Summary: Norma gives Chloe some advice about what to do for Senel's birthday.


Knit or Miss

Disclaimer: I don't own Tales of Legendia or its characters. It all belongs to Namco.

Norma Beatty liked to think of herself as a sort of part-time fairy godmother, helping to bring young lovers together when she wasn't finding fantastic treasures. It was hard work, though... especially when they were as dense as Senel. It was fortunate that they had Norma to look after them!

"What're you getting Senny for his birthday?" she demanded, ambushing Chloe on her way back to her room one evening.

"There's a pair of bracers at the weapon shop - " Chloe began, slightly nonplussed, but secretly glad Norma asked.

"_Boring!_" Norma instantly proclaimed.

"Do you really think so?" Chloe asked, remembering the wistful way Coolidge had looked at the display case last time they were at the armory.

"Come on C, do you want him to keep thinking of you as a training partner forever? This is your big chance to show him a different side of you!"

"Different side?" Chloe repeated, intrigued in spite of herself.

"You need to show him your _softer _side," Norma told her, nodding sagely. "Grab his attention by doing something unexpected!"

"Like what?"

"Oh, uh... You have to do some of the work here too! Give him a taste of what it'll be like once you two are married! Cook him dinner! Knit him a sweater or something."

"_Married?!_" Chloe cried, forgetting for a moment that they were standing in one of the busiest streets in Werites Beacon. A few people stared, but the majority had the sense to keep on walking. "And I don't know how to do either of those things," she added, more quietly.

Norma shrugged. "Have I ever steered you wrong? Well, I'm off! These ruins won't explore themselves, you know."

* * *

As a result, Norma was conveniently absent when Chloe found herself hunched over a tangled mass of needles and string that didn't even remotely begin to resemble a sweater. Armed with a few skeins of yarn from the item shop and a how-to book loaded with diagrams, Chloe began to spend her afternoons sitting on a stump in the small clearing behind the hospital. It was a pleasant place where she and Elsa had spent countless hours, but more importantly it was out of view from the main path. Chloe would have been mortified if any of her friends found her then, cursing to herself as she picked at yet another dropped stitch. Fifteen minutes later, the knight finally got to her feet. It was early evening, the light was fading and Senel's birthday was in less than a week.

"There you are, Chloe!" a cheerful - and familiar - voice called from the doorway. She turned around slowly.

"S-Shirley! What are you doing here?"

"You haven't been around," Shirley said, stepping outside. "I was worried. Is everything okay?"

"I'm fine," Chloe assured her. "I've just been working on something." Shirley craned her neck, trying to see what her friend was hiding behind her back. Then she saw the needles. "Oh, I didn't know you were a knitter! Can I see?"

"This is a beautiful color," was all Shirley said, fingering the deep blue yarn. _She's really reaching for something nice to say,_ Chloe thought. "When did you start knitting? I've never seen you working on anything before."

"I'm a beginner," Chloe admitted, feeling as if she had just said that Grune could be a little forgetful sometimes, or that Senel was slightly irritated by the Bantam Bouncers when they burst into song. "I just started two weeks ago."

"So that's why you've been hiding from us all this time!" Shirley cried, although she wasn't exactly surprised. "None of us would have laughed at you if you made a mistake, you know."

"That's not it!" Chloe protested. "I just wanted it to be a surprise."

"For who?" Shirley wanted to know. "I promise I won't tell!"

"Coolidge," Chloe admitted, wondering how the other girl would react.

"That's so sweet! I'm sure he'll love it," Shirley said with a sincere smile, which then faltered a bit. "Um, what _is_ it?" she finally had to ask.

"A sweater," Chloe told her.

"I thought you said you were a beginn - "

"I was in a hurry," Chloe explained. "And it turned out being such a waste of time."

"At least you still got some practice out of it," Shirley said consolingly. "I'll help you, if you want. There's no way we can finish a sweater in time, but you'll be ready for next year."

"Are you sure?" Chloe asked, afraid that Shirley was too busy with her duties as a diplomat to have time for something so frivolous.

"Yes, this'll be fun!" Shirley assured her. "Knitting is much more enjoyable when you're with friends. Maybe we can get Norma to join us! Did I say something wrong?" she asked, noting the look that crossed her companion's face.

"No, nothing at all! By the way, what are _you _getting Coolidge for his birthday, Shirley?" If anyone knew the perfect gift, it would be her.

"Well, there's a pair of bracers at the weapon shop..."

* * *

Knitting lessons with Shirley turned out to be much more fun than Chloe would have thought. Before long everyone in their group had been given more scarves than any one person could possibly need, especially on the Legacy where it rarely dropped below freezing, although Jay asked if they could put their energy to better use by making something to throw over Moses. Fortunately, Moses was too thrilled about all these gifts being given to him by girls to notice.

"See, what did I tell you?" Norma asked Chloe, elbowing her in the ribs. "You'll get Senny right where you want him in no time!"

"What are you talking about?" Chloe demanded, although she had to admit that she felt a surge of pride every time she saw Senel wearing one of her creations. And wear them he did, even if the group wasn't going anywhere near the Ice Monument that day. He even managed to smile and act delighted when she presented him with another one, which was more than could be said for the others.

"You know what I mean!" Before Chloe could think up a reply Norma walked off, pleased with herself for being such a successful fairy godmother.


End file.
